8.29.2011

cinnamon raisin quinoa

You're probably looking at this picture and thinking, where's the butter? You know I'm all for rich and creamy, but man, the effects of butter on my body in the past year... I'm starting to think that "moderation and healthful" need to enter into my vocabulary.

My beloved breakfast bagel (cinnamon raisin with a shmear of cream cheese) has always left me shaky, with a huge blood sugar drop around 10 AM. Though I still indulge just once in awhile, I'm trying to change and balance carbs with a bit of protein. I've been looking for something beyond the predictable egg and breakfast bacon.

Enter QUINOA, pronounced keen-wah. Although it looks and acts like a grain, it's a relative of spinach and swiss chard and is the seed of the quinoa plant. Quinoa is an excellent source of complete protein; it contains all nine essential amino-acids. It also is high in magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and iron. The grain-like seed is nutty, fluffy and slightly crunchy. It cooks up like rice does, taking about 15 minutes per 1 cup.

One essential step to making quinoa is RINSE. And re-rinse, rubbing the seed between your fingers. The seed is coated with a bitter compound, saponin, which might still remain even though in its cultivation process, much of it is taken off. The Sister and I had the misfortune of cooking a batch without the necessary prewash... you know where that ended up.

Missing my morning bagel, I added cinnamon and raisin to this batch. Berries and dried fruits work well as mix-ins, as do toasted nuts.

Combine the milk, water, quinoa, raisins and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff it up with a fork. Mix in the nutmeg and brown sugar.